A Storm Hits Valparaíso

Catalina Flores de la Peña’s tongue got her in more trouble than any other part of her body, even though there were far more likely candidates.

But when a storm rolls into her sleepy port town, she finds herself embroiled with a gang of adventurers, mercenaries, and prostitutes on a journey to free South America from the Spanish Empire.

A Storm Hits Valparaíso is an epic, historical adventure starring two brothers torn apart by love; a slave running for his life; a disgraced British sailor seeking redemption; and José de San Martín, an Argentine general who deserts the Spanish Army to lead a bloody revolt against his former masters.

Praise for A Storm Hits Valparaiso (from Amazon reviewers):

“Gaughran assembles a multi-national cast of characters in an ambitious story of love and betrayal, sea and land battles, victory and defeat in a war for independence. In characters drawn from real historical figures, the author delves into the politics of war and how battles turn on the smallest of details or the whims of a single man.”–JW Manus

“A work of sweeping historical fiction that captivates and entertains … engaging and richly textured.”–John Glass

A paperback edition is also available for $14.95. Readers in North America should purchase from Amazon. International readers are advised to avoid shipping fees by purchasing from The Book Depository (where worldwide shipping is free).

All of my other titles are currently only available as e-books. However, don’t forget that you can read e-books on any computer, tablet, or laptop, and on most phones, with this free software.

I’m very proud to publish this book and it marks the culmination of a long journey. I started this novel in 2006, and in the five-and-a-half years since then, I have written and re-written the book more times than I care to remember. I almost walked away from it – for good – this summer, only to be rescued by my talented editor, who steered me over the finish line. You can read the full story of the (long) road to publication here.

Historical Note

Every effort was made to make A Storm Hits Valparaíso historically accurate, but as a work of fiction, it should be understood that many elements are invented. The historical record is imperfect, and a novelist must go to work in these gaps.

We are not free to invent as we choose, we must preserve the authenticity that is a crucial part of the bond between writer and reader, and great care is taken to ensure such inventions tally with the known record.

In some places, however, minor alterations were necessary to make the story function, and they are fully listed here.